New workplace literacy resources for people with diverse abilities

TORONTO, ON –/COMMUNITYWIRE/– ABC Life Literacy Canada is thrilled to add several new resources to UP Skills for Work, a free education program that helps adult learners develop key employability and life skills through free workshops, downloadable workbooks and online courses.

These new resources are specifically designed for people with diverse abilities and have been adapted to best meet the needs of learners with various intellectual, verbal, physical and nonphysical capabilities. The two workbooks in the series are Adaptability: Self-regulation and Communication: Understanding social cues. The topics are also covered in free online courses on the ABC Skills Hub.

UP Skills for Work topics are aligned with the Skills for Success. These skills, as identified by the Government of Canada, are the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to change.

“We’ve created the new UP Skills for Work resources in direct response to the needs of community groups working with adults living with various intellectual, verbal, physical and nonphysical abilities. The resources help these adults acquire the confidence and skills needed to gain meaningful employment,” says Alison Howard, Executive Director of ABC Life Literacy Canada. “This particular community has been underserviced for a long time and we are pleased to be able to provide support through tailored resources to help them continue to succeed.”

In addition to the new People with Diverse Abilities workbooks, ABC Life Literacy Canada has recently introduced a Get Started series to the UP Skills for Work program. The Get Started series consists of 10 adapted workbooks for adult learners at a grade 2-4 reading level. To date, seven of the 10 workbooks have been released, including Collaboration, Problem Solving, and Writing.

UP Skills for Work is presented with support from founding sponsor Canada Life, and is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Skills for Success Program.

The UP Skills for Work workbooks, video lesson, and online courses, can be found at upskillsforwork.ca. Organizations and workplaces can sign up to host a free workshop and request printed workbooks and materials.

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About ABC Life Literacy Canada

ABC Life Literacy Canada® is a national charitable organization that champions literacy by empowering adult learners, raising awareness, and supporting the adult learning sector. We develop and support the use of foundational learning materials and help to build the capacity of the sector by convening and connecting the adult literacy community, and advocating for skills programming. We envision a Canada where everyone has the skills and opportunities to fully participate in learning, life, and work. For more information about literacy in Canada and ABC Life Literacy Canada’s programs, visit abclifeliteracy.ca. 

For more information, please contact:

Ashley Tilley, Communications
ABC Life Literacy Canada
communications@abclifeliteracy.ca